Vegan Ash-e Reshteh (Persian New Year Soup)

With Nowruz (Persian New Year, the Spring Equinox) right around the corner, I thought I’d post a recipe for a Vegan Ash-e Reshteh! There are many kinds of Ash you can make, but Ash-e Reshteh seems to be the most popular. It’s made throughout the year on my husband’s side of the family, and it’s always made for Nowruz.

I first learned to make Ash-e Reshteh shortly after my engagement to my husband. His mother had gifted me a Persian cookbook. Her quiet way of both welcoming me to the family and validating my suspicion that the key to keeping her son’s heart was through food. No doubt, I happily got to practicing my Ash and Beef Koobideh recipes, all while secretly plotting to find ways to make some of it vegan.

Ash-e Reshteh is a thick soup. It’s typically made with onion, beans, noodles, lentils, garlic, beet, spinach, herbs, spices, and beef broth. I’ve always substituted vegetable broth in the past and made a vegetarian version. Furthermore, the other non-vegan friendly ingredient is the kashk. Kashk is basically whey that’s stirred in at the end and added as a garnish. Oh, and the noodles are thought to bring luck into the New Year!

I’ve always wanted to make a Vegan Ash-e Reshteh! I thought this would be a great opportunity to try and finally make a vegan version using a recipe for garbanzo bean whipped cream I’d seen floating around.

Instructions

1

In a large pot heat your coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add your minced garlic and thinly sliced onion, saving some onion on the side for the garnish later. Stir fry until the onions are soft and beginning to brown

2

Add the beans, turmeric, salt and pepper and stir-fry for two minutes. If you used canned beans (I did) then you can skip Step 3

3

Add 9 cups of water and bring to a boil, reduce heat and continue cooking for 15 minutes

4

Add your veggie broth and lentils, continue cooking for 15 minutes

5

Add your noodles and slowly sift in your flour while stirring the pot. Allow the soup to cook, covered and on low, for another 15 minutes

6

Add your spinach, dill, parsley, and beet. Continue cooking another 10-15 minutes or until the noodles and lentils are both soft

7

*Add your vegan cream and stir in, saving some for the garnish.

8

Garnish with crispy caramelized onions and a dollop of "cream"

Notes

* Vegan cream: Simply combine the liquid from two cans garbanzo beans with 1/8 tsp. of cream of tartar and mix on high for 10-15 minutes or until stable and cream-like.
**You can also just omit the cream entirely if you don't have a Kitchenaid or hand mixer. The soup is delicious anyway.
***The "cream" can collapse quickly and in a hot pot, it almost completely dissolves. I still liked it for the recipe because I felt it gave the soup a slightly creamier look.